Do you have the desire to be an industry power-house and authority, known as a “thought leader”, but think it’s “all work and no play”? Ever wonder how creative thought leaders Tina Fey, Conan O’Brien, and Stephen Colbert do it so effortlessly? Their secrets lie in the art of improvisation! Here are the 5 basic rules of improvisation that are powerful practices for the great leaders in any industry:

1. Yes, and…

“Yes, and” is the most important rule of improvisation. The principle is simple: When you are presented with new information, you simply say, “Yes, and…” to better build off the suggestion. Pixar Studios incorporates this into their idea of “Plussing”. The practice of always agreeing and adding instead of denying and fighting. Your positivity and ability to adapt to new information with agility will set an example and spread to others throughout your organization.

2. Don’t ask questions

Wait, wait, hear me out! When I say “Don’t ask questions” I’m not saying, “Don’t seek more information”. Instead, try to phrase your sentence as a statement. Asking questions can sometimes be seen as an attack on the idea and the unintended result may be the person becomes defensive or shuts down altogether. Next time, when presented with an idea, instead of asking the question, “Do you think that will work?” try the statement, “Tell me more about that”.

3. It doesn’t have to be good

If you spend too much time and energy disqualifying your ideas because they aren’t “good enough” before they leave your mouth, you’ll end up with a white board full of blank space. When brainstorming, don’t worry about every suggestion or addition being brilliant or even relevant. With the “Yes, and” mentality, even the “worst” ideas can contribute to the larger picture. Strategy meetings should be a safe place for all ideas and every suggestion is a valid contribution.

4. Make a connection on stage

Making a connection is all about being on the same page. This includes making a connection with your team, your leadership, and, most importantly, your audience. This connection comes from knowing your audience on a personal level. Gathering an understanding through empathy allows you to establish that connection and guide them to your desired destination. On stage, you may guide them to the punchline and in the market you will guide them to closing the deal.

5. Make your partner look good

Make your partner look good and your partner will make you look good in return. You can see things your partner or teammate might not see and it is your responsibility to compensate accordingly for the benefit of the team. This “other-centered focus” helps with team moral and overall ensemble building because everyone is invested in looking out for their team when the mentality is mutual.

These basic rules of improvisation can drastically improve every part of your business without the 100 hours of “Leadership Training” lectures. Simply by using the techniques found in comedic improvisational performance, you can boost your team’s performance by having fun and applying new ideas. Remember: It’s all fun and games until someone revolutionizes the market with new and engaging thoughts!

At Phoenix Comic Con 2011, his booth was actually across the isle from mine so he came over and said some nice things. Stuff like how he REALLY liked my webcomic and how he read the whole thing in one sitting. He said that I was far more attractive than him and how he wished he could have the same sweet haircut that I do (it’s a modified bowl-cut that I have trade marked. Sorry guys!). Anyway, after I stopped his flattery 3 or so hours later, we became friendsies!

Okay, that’s only sorta true. It was mostly subtext. HEAVY SUBTEXT!

Anyway, I am super jealous of Denis because of his art, writing, dedication, and hair style (even though he mostly wears a hat).

This was my final project for a film class at ASU. It was the only film I’ve every directed/edited/everything-else’d and it was a nightmare!

This is actually a heavily revised version of the original script. When the original rough cut was viewed, I was laughed out of the class! That “funny” footage is seen in B&W. To save the film I removed the audio, shot new scenes, and cut up the acting performances to make it more of a music video. Then, the external hard drive I was using to store all my data became corrupted so when I finished editing that day, I had to call the project finished. So, here it is!

Never again.

In Fact, here is the original script for you to look at! Even less people have seen this!